This tragedy and loss has resonated around the city, and indeed the country and the world after Sydney was thrown into disarray yesterday at the hands of lone gunman, Man Haron Monis. The now deceased 50 year old, Monis, was shot dead just after 2am as police stormed the Lindt cafe on Martin Place – where 17 people had been held hostage at gunpoint for over 17 hours. Two hostages – Lindt Cafe Manager, Tori Johnson, aged 34, and Sydney Barrister and mother-of-three children, Katrina Dawson, 38, also tragically died following the events.
While the nation comes to grips with these horrific events taking place in our own backyard, the resilience, strength and love of Australians is once again shining through the fear, loss and pain. Following inexplicable tragedies like this, it’s natural to point the finger, to blame, to channel the anger and emotion outwards. But instead, Sydney has united in the face of this reign of terror with a beautiful social media-fuelled movement to stop racism in its tracks.
As the shocking events unfolded, and the world watched and waited, the hostage drama also sadly sparked anti-Muslim sentiment across the city as rumour amounted that the incident may have been politically motivated. While our tactical and emergency services took control in a response that can only be described as commendable and brave, one Brisbane woman, Rachael Jacobs, kicked-off a response of her own. The Facebook post (below) has banded together Australians under the one social media banner with the hashtag #illridewithyou – pledging solidarity with those who fear racially motivated and bigoted attacks on public transport, and indeed standing against racism towards Muslims in our country.
Rachael Jacobs’ simple offer to walk with a Muslim woman as they got off a Brisbane train on Monday sparked the social media campaign under the hashtag #illridewithyou. The movement went viral after one of Ms. Jacobs’ friends shared her private Facebook post publicly, she told smh.com.au, inspiring the #illridewithyou hashtag. Ms Jacobs Facebook status said:
“…and the (presumably) Muslim woman sitting next to me on the train silently removes her hijab,” Ms Jacobs wrote.
“I ran after her at the train station. I said ‘put it back on. I’ll walk with u’. She started to cry and hugged me for about a minute – then walked off alone.”
The message posted on Rachael Jacobs’ Facebook page.
UPDATE: Rachael Jacobs tells her story to smh.com.au explaining why she is reluctant to give interviews on the #illridewithyou. Ms Jacobs told SMH;
“What good is one small action against an avalanche of ignorance? Hours later, social media showed me good people can create their own avalanche of kindness. My posts were written on my private Facebook page to a private audience, never intended for public eyes. A friend of mine made his own decision to share it publicly, and I’m deeply humbled by his action. Perhaps the story was then shared widely because it represented what so many people felt in their heart. But while I’m warmed by the sheer volume of media interest, I am not the story here, and my actions were not extraordinary or heroic. We are all in shock at the tragedy that has unfolded, and out of respect for the victims’ families, I’m reluctant to take any media focus.”
While the nation mourns the loss of two of its own, and Australians deal with the shock of this very real threat on our doorstep, some of us are faced with the issue of how to explain this kind of behaviour and these tragic events to our children. TheCarousel.com’s Psychologist Jo Lamble offers some guidance for parents with children of different ages, saying it’s essential to keep ‘checking in’ with our children to make sure they are not “quietly worrying”.
Read Jo’s advice on ‘Explaining Tragedy To Your Children’ here.
Flags on the Sydney Harbour Bridge are flying at half mast , while Prime Minister Tony Abbott addressed the nation offering condolences and thoughts to the victims families, promising a full investigation into the situation that lead to these events and to determine the “lessons that need to be learned” to try and prevent repeat acts of violence in our country.
Join the movement as Australia unites against racism by posting your messages of support to social media using #illridewithyou
